A TOP scientist believes current coronavirus rates are "fairly mild" compared to what is expected next week.

Professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said healthcare workers were "really worried" about the coming months.

He warned that Christmas, along with the new coronavirus variant, will result in an increase in cases.

Professor Goddard told BBC Breakfast: "There’s no doubt that Christmas is going to have a big impact, the new variant is also going to have a big impact, we know that is more infectious, more transmissible, so I think the large numbers that we’re seeing in the South East, in London, in South Wales, is now going to be reflected over the next month, two months even, over the rest of the country."

He warned that other areas of the UK will begin to see hospital pressure similar to those in South Wales.

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In the last week Gwent has seen more coronavirus patients in hospital than at any other point in the pandemic.

And more people were hospitalised with the virus on Christmas Day in Gwent than anywhere else in Wales.

Professor Goddard added: “All hospitals that haven’t had the big pressures that they’ve had in the South East, and London and South Wales, should expect that it’s going to come their way.

“This new variant is definitely more infectious and is spreading across the whole of the country.

"It seems very likely that we are going to see more and more cases, wherever people work in the UK, and we need to be prepared for that.”